France in Focus

We haven't seen any, but a few people have posted on a local FB page that over the past 3-4 days they have seen grues flying NE over the Ruffec area. One person wrote that they had seen a couple of dozen. I've read that non breeding birds sometimes fly over in August, but the youngsters need time to grow and build up their strength before the long flight to their winter home in September and October.

Surely migrating grues fly SW, in autumn.

Doug wrote: ↑Mon Aug 14, 2023 9:26 am Surely migrating grues fly SW, in autumn.

Of course. My mistake.

Veem wrote: ↑Tue Aug 15, 2023 8:48 am

Doug wrote: ↑Mon Aug 14, 2023 9:26 am Surely migrating grues fly SW, in autumn.

Of course. My mistake.

No problem, at my age sometimes I have trouble knowing which way is up.

Doug wrote: ↑Tue Aug 15, 2023 10:16 am No problem, at my age sometimes I have trouble knowing which way is up.

Don't worry Doug, you're not the only one

Hundreds,maybe thousands, of swifts &/or swallows gathered on the power lines over the fields across from us yesterday morning. The noise was incredible.
They all disappeared before the rain came later in the morning.
Always amazes me how something so light can make the trips they do.
Safe voyage little 'uns.

This morning, on our way to Montigny-le-Roi (52) we spotted these storks. There were more, in fields on the other side of the road - a tad too far away to photo. About 70 in total.

On the weather post it was reported of shallows being about.
We have had house Martins here for a few days.

2/2/2025 I hear them but I haven’t spotted them yet. Grue flying north across 47.
Also saw a large flight of palombes going north this morning.

A few hundred flew over us last week.